Thailand’s royal family sends earthquake condolence letter to Turkey, Syria presidents

Thailand’s royal family sent a condolence letter to the presidents of Turkey and Syria in light of the recent earthquake tragedy.

The king and queen of Thailand say they are very saddened to learn about the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and subsequent aftershocks, which was an unbelievable phenomenon.

The earthquake’s death toll has now exceeded an astonishing 15,000 people, with authorities saying the number is expected to double.

According to Thai PBS World, Their Majesties expressed their sorrow for this great loss, but say they hope that Turkey will be able to overcome this disaster soon.

The king and queen addressed the president of Syria by saying they were saddened by the great loss of life, missing and injured people as well as those who are left homeless by the earthquake and the extensive damage to property in Syria.

They furthered that they hope the disaster in Syria will end soon and the country will be restored.

Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation announced yesterday that it will deploy a 20-member Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team to Turkey.

The USAR Thailand team will consist of fully equipped experts trained in search and rescue operations at both national and international levels. The team is on standby and will depart as soon as it receives the go-ahead from Turkish authorities.

Meanwhile, a Thai family is grieving after their daughter was killed in the recent massive earthquake in Turkey.

The earthquake killed 29 year old Nong Dao. Nong Dao was found under the ruins of a building in Iskenderun, a city affected by the earthquake disaster.

The Thai embassy in Turkey has been working closely with the Turkish authorities to bring her body back to her hometown in the northeastern Chaiyaphum Province.

UNICEF Thailand has launched an emergency appeal to the Thai public, calling for people to help provide urgent support to the affected communities.

In light of this dire situation, UNICEF Thailand is urging the Thai public to support their efforts to help the children and families affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

Donations can be made online at www.unicef.or.th/syria, through a bank transfer to Bangkok Bank 201-3-01324-4, or by sending an SMS with the message “UNICEF” to 4712225, which will result in a THB 100 donation.